1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to wireless phone technology. More particularly, the invention relates to a protective, radiation free earpiece to protect the user from RF energy radiation emanating from a phone apparatus and to provide an enhanced, high-quality communication signal between the cell phone and an earpiece.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, there have been several attempts to protect cellular phone users from RF radiation. But none of the approaches have been entirely satisfactory. One such protective device for cell phone users is illustrated in Katz U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,896, wherein the entire cell phone, including the antenna is placed in a shielding enclosure. The cell phone antenna is retracted into the shielding enclosure and makes contact with a second antenna outside the shielding enclosure. The second antenna is mounted away from the user's head to reduce exposure to the radiation emanating from it. Though the energy level is reduced to a certain extent, the user's head is still directly exposed to the radiation.
Schwanke, U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,386 discloses a cellular phone having a shield for protecting the user from electromagnetic radiation emanating from the antenna. The shield is pivotally mounted to the housing of the cell phone and it can be positioned between the antenna and the head of the user's phone. But this approach shields only that portion of the antenna extending upwardly outside of the cell phone housing. The portion of the antenna inside the cell phone housing does not have any of the shield structure blocking radiation.
A cellular telephone user's level of exposure to RF radiation depends upon several factors. These factors include the: amount of cellular telephone traffic, quality of the transmission, how far the antenna is extended, and size of the handset. A cellular telephone's main source of RF energy is its antenna. Therefore, the closer the antenna is to the head, the greater a person's expected exposure to RF radiation. The amount of RF radiation absorbed decreases rapidly with increasing distance between the antenna and the user. The antenna of hand-held cellular telephones is in the handset, which is typically held against the side of the head while the phone is in use. The antenna of a car cellular telephone is mounted on the outside of the car, some distance from the user.
Since radiation decreases exponentially (one over the square root over the distance between the operator and the phone), it is normally assumed that by using a headset, which has copper wires inside, and holding the phone away from the body would solve the problem. However, recent investigations reveal that headsets may actually intensify exposure to harmful EMFs emitted by a cell phone. Contrary to popular belief, research has shown that hands-free cell phone kits can significantly increase the user's brain exposure to radiation. The findings confirmed claims that that using hands-free earpieces in certain positions could more than triple the brain's exposure to radiation compared to a conventional cell phone call. By itself, a headset can act as an antenna that actually channels radiation to your brain.
Wireless headsets are even worse, because the wire is replaced with a transmitter and receiver operating with low power at frequency levels between 900 MHz. to 2.4 GHz. The maximum frequencies for wireless products compliant with Bluetooth specifications are 2.497 GHz. The frequency power of wireless headsets rivals that of microwave ovens, which also operate at 2.4 GHz. And, while in a few cases emission may be lessened by the use of a headset or earpiece, it may not reduce radiation enough. This means that even a product that offers up to 70 percent reduction in EMR is not nearly as effective as necessary.
Bluetooth phones could be under attack from a new technique, even when the handset's security features are switched on. Using specialized equipment the attacker can connect to a Bluetooth handset without authorization and then make calls, siphon off information or listen in on data transfers between the device and, for example, a PC. Some security firms recommend financial traders avoid Bluetooth handsets because of the potential attack. Firstly, confidential data can be obtained, anonymously, and without the owner's knowledge or consent, from some Bluetooth enabled mobile phones. This data includes, at least, the entire phonebook and calendar, and the phone's IMEI.
Secondly, it has been found that the complete memory contents of some mobile phones can be accessed by a previously trusted (“paired”) device that has since been removed from the trusted list. This data includes not only the phonebook and calendar, but media files such as pictures and text messages. In essence, the entire device can be “backed up” to an attacker's own system. Thirdly, access can be gained to the phone's command set, giving full access to the higher level commands and channels, such as data, voice and messaging.